The European Union recently adopted an "Asylum Procedures Directive" as part of its work on defining a new Common European Asylum System. Here are a few resources relating to this and other asylum developments in the EU.
Vice President Frattini welcomes 'major milestone' on asylum in the EU
http://tinyurl.com/d5c3k
UNHCR press release: EU directive may trigger downgrading of asylum standards http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=4390253a4
UNHCR Observations on the European Commission Communication "A Common Agenda for integration: Framework for theIntegration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union"
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect/opendoc.pdf?tbl=PROTECTION&id=437b513c2
Other comments from UNHCR on EU asylum law and policy are available at http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/protect?id=43672f0a2
ECRE comment: Response of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on A Common Agenda for Integration COM (2005) 389 final
http://www.ecre.org/policy/position_papers.shtml
Other information about developments in Europe can be found in the Forced Migration Review issue on "Asylum in Europe": http://www.fmreview.org/FMRpdfs/FMR23/FMR23contents.pdf
Another useful resource is EurActiv's "Illegal immigration, asylum and border control" policy section, with news, latest developments and a policy summary
http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-117508-16&type=LinksDossier
Posted in Publications.
